EXCLUSIVE: British novelist-screenwriter Neil Cross, creator of the BBC seriesLuther, is coming to American television. In his first formal U.S. TV pact, Cross has signed a two-year overall deal with Universal Television to develop new series projects. “Neil Cross is a visionary and we are huge fans of his stellar work on Luther,” Universal TV EVP Bela Bajaria said. “We look forward to working with him to create a big broadcast network hit.” Lurher has garnered accolades on both sides of the pond, earning star Idris Elba a Golden Globe award and an Emmy nomination. Its most recent prize came last week, when Luther was named best drama series at the British Royal TV Society Awards. On the feature side, Cross was recently tapped by Ghost House Pictures to write The Day Of The Triffids, based on the classic sci-fi horror novel written by John Wyndam and the 1962 film Invasion Of The Triffids. Cross previously penned two Guillermo del Toro-produced genre films: Mama, staring Jessica Chastain, which is in post-production; and actioner Midnight Delivery, which is being fast-tracked. Del Toro also enlisted Cross for a polish on his upcoming giant-budget monster movie Pacific Rim. Cross, who recently did TV development at 20th Century Fox Television, is repped by UTA, UK-based Independent Talent Group and attorneys Fred Toczek and Bruce Gellman.